Brindle Historical Society

2026

Talks held in 2026

  • Florence Nightingale: her life and legacy – Frances Raftery

    I admitted to our Brindle Historical Society speaker that I knew little about Florence Nightingale beyond the fact that she carried a lamp. By the end of Frances Raftery’s excellent presentation, however, I felt considerably better informed – not only about Florence and the Crimean War, but even about the Rylands Library in Manchester!

    Frances was volunteering at the Rylands when she discovered a small book entitled Notes on Nursing, written by Florence and published in 1860. Still in print today, it explains her philosophy in straightforward language. Florence believed that many illnesses resulted from poor air quality and that contagion could occur without physical contact. As she wrote, “…nature alone cures… what nursing has to do… is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him.” This philosophy underpinned her work with wounded soldiers in the Crimean War, which ultimately contributed to significant improvements in survival rates.

    Florence was born on 12 May 1820, during her parents’ Grand Tour of Europe, and named after the city of her birth. Her birthday is now celebrated as International Nurses’ Day. She grew up at Embley Park in Hampshire, receiving the education considered appropriate for an aristocratic young lady – which excluded science and mathematics.

    At 17, she experienced what she regarded as a religious calling to nursing, but her father initially refused to let her pursue it. Hospital nursing was then poorly regarded, chaotic and lacking in formal organisation.

    Eventually, she was allowed to train at a Lutheran institution in Germany, where she gained practical experience and learned systematic nursing methods. The emphasis on organisation and sanitation suited her character and proved a turning point in her life.

    Her abilities impressed her friend Sidney Herbert, then Secretary of State for War, who helped arrange for her to take 38 nurses to Crimea where they worked at the Scutari barracks.  Here, Florence did what she could to alleviate the suffering of wounded and sick soldiers and she was horrified by the death statistics but discovered that disease, rather than battle wounds, was responsible for most deaths.

    On returning home, she used her influential contacts to campaign for a Royal Commission on the Health of the Army. Working with statisticians, she analysed vast quantities of military mortality records, demonstrating that disease posed a far greater threat than battlefield injuries.

    Florence created the polar area diagram in 1858 to show that diseases, rather than battle wounds, caused the vast majority of deaths among British soldiers during the Crimean War.

    Florence also helped design and standardise what became known as Nightingale wards: high-ceilinged rooms with large windows opening off a central corridor. Fresh air was considered essential to patient recovery, so windows were often kept open, whatever the weather.

    Her dedication to nursing was such that she turned down three marriage proposals. Nurses trained in her methods went on to work around the world, many keeping in touch with her through correspondence. Florence replied to their letters, and thousands of these survive today.

    She died in 1910, aged 90, having requested a simple gravestone bearing only her initials and dates of birth and death. The state registration of nurses was finally established in 1919, nine years after her death.

  • Reservoir Navvies in East Lancashire – Catherine Rousseau

    At the Brindle Historical Society’s first meeting following the summer break, members were treated to an absorbing account of the men who built two of the reservoirs in the Burnley area.

    At the start of the meeting, Catherine Rousseau asked us to consider our preconceptions of navvies: who were they, how were they viewed and where did they come from?  She suggested that people often make sweeping generalisations about navvies – that they were single Irish men who lived hard, short lives, drank heavily and moved from place to place.  In other words, not perhaps the sort of chaps you would immediately invite round for tea.

    Navvies on their tea break

    In the first part of her presentation, Catherine cast doubt on these broad assumptions, drawing on the information recorded by Elizabeth Garnett, who became a British missionary to navvies and a leading figure in the Navvy Mission Society.  Garnett’s accounts provide a rather more complicated picture of the men. 

    It was true that navvies often travelled together, and men would sometimes ‘join the ranks’ and form, in effect, a mobile workforce.  Some were heavy drinkers and some died young in accidents, but this certainly did not apply to all of them.

    The nature of their work, particularly the construction of canals and railways, meant that the workforce frequently moved on.  Even when building reservoirs, if work stopped or was delayed, men might move elsewhere to find alternative employment. Living in temporary encampments close to the workplace could mean cramped and sometimes insanitary conditions, with illness a constant threat.  Contemporary accounts describe overcrowded huts and serious problems with disease.

    Navvies from 1892

    Drunkenness was frequently reported in the press, although such reports naturally tell us more about the incidents considered newsworthy than about the behaviour of the entire workforce.  Violence and premature death were also features of some navvies’ lives, but not all deaths were work-related.

    And, contrary to the popular image, not all navvies were Irish, although there was certainly a significant Irish presence with contemporary reports even recording disputes between Orangemen and Catholics.

    Discovering exactly how such men lived in this period is difficult because they did not consistently describe themselves as ‘navvies’ in official records.  Depending on the work they were doing at the time, they might simply appear as labourers, excavators or even farm workers.

    In the second part of the presentation, Catherine focused on two specific reservoirs – Churn Clough near Sabden and Hurstwood close to Burnley.

    1912 map showing Churn Clough reservoir near Sabden
    Two maps from 1912 and 1931 showing the construction of Hurstwood near Burnley.

    Churn Clough Reservoir was constructed in the late 19th century and was built to provide an additional water supply for the local population, whose existing sources were increasingly vulnerable to contamination.

    Artist’s impression of navvies building the Churn Clough reservoir

    Little archaeological evidence has been found to show where the navvies actually lived, so the precise location of their encampments – or ‘huts’, as they were described in contemporary newspapers – remains uncertain. They were probably somewhere on the higher ground above the reservoir.

    Excavations in one location uncovered pieces of Accrington brick embedded in a track, dating the feature broadly to the period between 1887 and 1914. Some shallow post holes provided evidence that a wooden structure may once have stood there, while other finds included clay pipes, a button and the heel of a boot. It is a modest collection, but together they provide tantalising glimpses of people who otherwise left remarkably little behind.

    Hurstwood Reservoir was begun in the early 20th century and was eventually completed in the 1920s after engineering difficulties and the disruption caused by the First World War.  At the same time, mechanical excavators – rather wonderfully known as ‘steam navvies’ – were introduced which threatened to replace some of the manual labour on which the men depended.

    Building the Hurstwood reservoir with the help of a ‘steam navvy’.

    There is, once again, surprisingly little archaeological evidence of the workers themselves. Some of the huts were subsequently sold for use as allotment buildings, while some of the workers settled locally.  Others moved on to the next project, finding employment on roads, tramways and other infrastructure.

    So, who were the navvies?  In the end, there is no simple answer to the question. The stereotypical navvy – an itinerant, hard-drinking Irishman with a shovel over his shoulder – tells only part of the story.  They were probably ordinary working men trying to earn a living in difficult circumstances.  They travelled where the work was available, endured unpleasant living conditions and performed physically demanding work that transformed the landscape of Britain.

    They may have left remarkably little personal evidence behind, but the reservoirs, railways, canals, roads and other structures they helped to create are rather more difficult to overlook.  And, as Catherine’s talk demonstrated, sometimes the challenge for the historian is not discovering what people built but finding out where the people who built it actually went.

  • History by Design – Chris Freeman

    In the last meeting before the summer break, Historical Society members were treated to a fascinating and fast-moving explanation of why certain things are the way they are.  From the size of the Space Shuttle’s rocket boosters to the diameter of compact discs, Chris Freeman’s 60-minute presentation had the audience enthralled with weird-but-true explanations of how familiar objects came to be the size and shape they are.  Bizarre as it may seem, the design of the Space Shuttle was, to some extent, influenced by the Romans, while Beethoven had an unexpected hand in determining the size of the CD.

    The boffins at NASA wanted the Shuttle’s rocket boosters to have a larger diameter than they eventually did.  However, because they were manufactured a long way from where the Shuttle was assembled, they had to be transported by rail, and that limited their width.  We then learned that railway tracks are the gauge they are because the people who built the first railway wagons had previously made horse-drawn carriages and saw little reason to alter their existing designs.  So why were horse-drawn carriages (and, before them, Roman chariots) built to that specific width?  Quite simply, because that was the width of two horses standing side by side.

    In the case of CDs, they were originally intended to have a diameter of 10cm until the president of Sony, who was a keen pianist, discovered that a 10cm disc could not accommodate the entirety of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which was typically around 70 minutes long.  He therefore insisted that the diameter be increased to 12cm, giving enough room for Beethoven’s grand finale.

    Chris also explained, amongst other things, why shipping channel leading markers are always triangular, why pyramids are the shape they are, and why modern aircraft have vertical extensions at the tips of their wings.  It is clear that whilst design engineers have always had to obey the laws of physics, more recently they have increasingly begun to borrow ideas from nature – a field known as biomimicry – having realised that millions of years of evolution make for a remarkably effective research and development department.

  • The Case of the Missing Body Live! – Tony Cunliffe

    It seems the good people of Brindle are quite sceptical – or at least those who attended the excellent talk by Tony Cunliffe at the Historical Society in May appeared to be. The talk took the form of an investigation into the historical and scientific evidence surrounding the Turin Shroud, with the audience cast in the role of Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ fictional sidekick.

    The presenter clearly laid out the history of the Shroud, beginning with a demonstration using a full-sized replica of the linen cloth – all 14 feet of it. This helped to illustrate how the 1988 carbon-dating exercise later came under criticism because some researchers believed proper scientific protocol had not been fully followed. It is known that the Shroud was exhibited many times during the Middle Ages, and it is thought likely that it was handled in the same manner as demonstrated by volunteers in Brindle, holding it by the top edge.

    Analysis of linen from the top right hand corner of the cloth has led some researchers to suggest that repairs had been carried out many years earlier. It was from this area that the carbon-dating sample was taken, leading critics to argue that the results may not have been representative of the original cloth.

    The audience on Monday were presented with numerous scientific observations about the artefact, together with relevant extracts from the Bible, and at the end of the evening were asked to cast a secret ballot indicating whether they believed the relic to be authentic, an elaborate hoax, or something else. Those selecting the final option were invited to consider possible alternative explanations for how the cloth came to bear the image of a man.

    Photograph of the shroud – Negative image of the photograph – Artists impression

    The speaker has given this talk many times and revealed afterwards that, from all the results he has collected, around 50% of people believed the artefact to be authentic, while only 12% considered it to be a hoax. When the results were announced in Brindle, however, there was an almost equal split between the three options, with only 30% of attendees believing the cloth to be authentic and 35% suggesting that it was a hoax. So, as reported at the start, we are clearly a sceptical bunch in Brindle. That said, everyone commented favourably on the excellent presentation, which kept the audience engaged throughout the evening – including the sceptics. For a very detailed analysis of the fascinating Turin Shroud, visit the British Society for the Turin Shroud website: https://shroudofturin.uk

  • The History of Horwich Works – Derek Cartwright

    In April, Derek Cartwright described to the Brindle Historical Society how one company built – and effectively created – the town of Horwich.  In 1884, Horwich was a small rural settlement of fewer than 4,000 people, yet it rapidly became one of the fastest-growing towns in the country.  The catalyst was the Loco Works, established after 650 acres were purchased for just £36,000.  Although not the first choice for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway – the area lacking both coal and skilled labour – the bargain price proved irresistible.

    Under William Barton Wright, and later John Aspinall, hundreds of navvies arrived in 1884 and within two years had constructed the Erecting Shop, with locomotives already arriving for repair.  Skilled workers were transferred from the Miles Platting works in Manchester, and by 1892 the works employed over 3,000 people.  Before construction began, however, the site had to be levelled requiring the removal of half a million tons of earth, effectively moving a hill.  The migrant workers also built housing for the expanding workforce which was soon supplemented by private builders providing shops, pubs, and other essentials as the town grew.

    The factory itself was immense, with the Erecting Shop stretching over a quarter of a mile.  It was a state-of-the-art facility, featuring natural and electric lighting, a telephone system, its own water supply, and even gas production.  Twin overhead cranes were capable of lifting over 100 tons and regularly carried engines over the heads of the workers below.  An 18-inch-gauge railway was also constructed, using small 0-4-0 tank engines to carry materials around the site.

    Management were notably forward-thinking: alongside employment, the company provided a cottage hospital, a bandstand, and recreation ground, and trained hundreds of workers in its own school, ensuring a steady supply of skilled labour.  Some employees went on to have remarkable careers: apprentice A. V. Roe later founded AVRO (producer of the Lancaster Bomber amongst other aircraft), while Sir Nigel Gresley, who worked under Aspinall, designed famous locomotives such as the Flying Scotsman and Mallard.

    During the First World War, the works produced shell cases as well as locomotives for France; in the Second, it diversified further, building over 400 Matilda tanks and Oerlikon shells.

    The last steam locomotive was built in 1957, though repairs continued until 1964. Thereafter, work shifted to foundry work, specialised products such as leaf springs, along with refurbishing diesel multiple units, repairing wagons and converting coaches for maintenance use – much less glamorous but still keeping the wheels turning.

    In the 1980s, BR Engineering Ltd. rationalised its workshops, and Horwich closed in December 1983, 97 years after opening, having built 1,800 locomotives and repaired more than 50,000.   Not a bad innings for a town that, just a century earlier, barely warranted a mention on the map.

    For more historical information about Horwich in general, visit Horwich Heritage. (https://www.horwichheritage.co.uk/looking-back.php#mast)

  • Visit to the Lancashire County Council Conservation Studios

    On Wednesday 18th March, nine members of the society visited the Lancashire County Council Conservation Studios in Preston which are appropriately housed in a converted church in the city centre. Whilst the exterior is unchanged, the interior has been specifically designed for conservation work.  The team of conservators work here on behalf of museums and galleries across the region, restoring and repairing all manner of historic items.

    During this fascinating visit, we learned what the experts are currently working on, including the careful cleaning of a marble bust, extensive repairs to a huge painting from Manchester Town Hall, and the restoration of some botanical models by Robert Brendel.  These latter pieces were exquisite, handcrafted papier-mâché structures formerly used to teach botany at universities – delicate, detailed, and beautiful.  Click here to see examples.

    We were also shown several recent arrivals: a very fine Waring and Gillow linen press, a Bond mini car (made in Preston), and a stuffed polar bear, – yes, really.  The car and bear are awaiting restoration – no doubt each providing very different challenges – while the furniture was about to move to a new location.

    Although the studios primarily do work for corporate bodies, they will also quote for the restoration of items from private individuals. 

  • Curtain up!  Theatre History – Adrian Tayler

    In one of the most fast-paced and fascinating presentations in March, presenter Adrian Tayler kept his audience enthralled throughout the 75-minute talk.  Although theatres existed in ancient Greece and Rome, theatre in the UK only began to flourish from the late 1500s, led by figures such as William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson.  Early theatres were based in London, while travelling groups, known as strolling players, performed at venues elsewhere around the country.  These performers had a poor reputation and were often described as rogues and vagabonds.

    Theatres were closed in 1642 by Oliver Cromwell’s puritan government and only reopened in 1660 under King Charles II. For the next 75 years theatres developed organically, but by 1737 some comedy plays were considered to be very rude and uncomplimentary of public figures.  Sir Robert Walpole sought to end this by bringing in the Theatre Licencing Act whereby all plays needed to be vetted by the Lord Chamberlain, a system of censorship that lasted until the 1960s.

    The second half of the talk focused on the Lancaster Grand Theatre, which opened in 1782.   Despite changes in ownership and periods of difficulty the theatre remained open but passed through many different owners until Henry Wilkinson bought the building in 1884.  He presented many excellent performances and was even one of the pioneers of film presentation (which were then called animated photographs).  In 1908 a fire severely damaged the auditorium but the interior was completely refitted in just five months for £4,000 (perhaps £600k today) and the results can still be seen today.

    After 1930, the theatre became a cinema, although amateur productions were also performed there.  In 1951 when closure was proposed, local drama groups raised funds to buy the building, and it remains owned by a charitable organisation, the Lancaster Footlights.

    Towards the end of the talk, Adrian explained many theatrical terms which have now entered common parlance such as ‘upstage’, ‘on cue’, ‘in the limelight’ etc. and went on to describe key features of theatre design such as the proscenium arch, fly tower, and fourth wall leaving the audience very well informed and with few questions.

  • Annual General Meeting and display of artefacts

    There was an encouragingly large turnout of members for the AGM of the Society in February.  In giving a summary of the society’s year, Henry Stone mentioned that, whilst the membership of 37 remained unchanged from 2024, the numbers of people attending meetings was boosted by a total of 85 visitors during the year.  New members are always welcome and at just £16 for nine talks it’s much cheaper than a streaming subscription and far more likely to involve tea and biscuits.

    Whilst important, AGMs can sometimes be dry affairs, but in an heroic feat of efficiency this one was completed in just over half an hour and was followed by a fascinating evening where several members displayed some of the “old stuff” they’d found in their attics.

    Members were encouraged to bring any historical artefact that had been passed down through the generations and provide a brief history of the story behind it.  These ranged from an old milk kit from the 1930s bearing the family name engraved on the lid to a magnificent ‘Freedom Casket’ and accompanying scroll which was presented upon receiving the Freedom of the Borough of Chorley.   

    Other items included:

    • An antique Waddington’s board game similar to Monopoly
    • A beautiful memory quilt made from various materials collected over time
    • Five very pretty antique wooden dolls, possibly originating from Asia
    • Medals and memorabilia from a great uncle who died in the 1st World War
    • A signed Temperance Booklet dating from the 1930s
    • A well-loved and cared-for China doll won in a raffle to raise funds for injured soldiers in 1943      
    • Plates commemorating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887

    The oldest item displayed was a jug dating from the early 19th century, but it was the fascinating stories behind the artefacts that attracted most interest.  One member explained the provenance of a leather bag given to him by his uncle who had acquired it in the Middle East during the 2nd World War and in displaying various items from 1955; another described how, before she was born, her family had emigrated to Australia under the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ scheme but returned at great expense after just seven months presumably when they realised that British rain is preferable to Australian spiders.

    Many thanks must go to Kathy Whyte who organised the exhibition and produced an information card accompanying each item. If any newcomers to the village would like to know more about the fascinating history of this area, please get in touch with either Henry (01254 854290) or Bernard (07505 409289) who will use their knowledge and contacts to answer any queries.

  • Organised crime and covert policing – Roger Price

    History is the study of the past, but should it still be called history if people remember it within their own lifetime?  The answer is yes.  Events such as the miners’ strike or 9/11 are unquestionably history, so the Brindle Historical Society makes no apology for hosting a talk in January about events from the 1990s.

    The talk was delivered by author and former detective Roger Price, who gave a fascinating and frequently entertaining account of his career with Lancashire Constabulary.  He began with a light-hearted and humorous overview of his probationary year, recalling the various “character-building” tricks played on him during training. It all sounded less like modern policing and more like an episode of Life on Mars.

    Having survived this initiation, Roger moved through a series of gradually more interesting roles before eventually joining CID. The talk then turned to the rather more serious work he later undertook with the national drugs squad, where the laughs were fewer but the stories no less gripping.

    Sadly, for those unable to attend, almost all of the juiciest details from Roger’s more intriguing cases cannot be committed to print — for reasons best left unexplored. You’ll therefore have to rely on your imagination. To help it along, you could always read one or two of Roger’s crime novels which, whilst technically fiction, draw on his real-life experiences and give a strong hint that the truth was probably even stranger.

    Monday 16th February – Annual General Meeting and display of artefacts

    There was an encouragingly large turnout of members for the AGM of the Society in February.  In giving a summary of the society’s year, Henry Stone mentioned that, whilst the membership of 37 remained unchanged from 2024, the numbers of people attending meetings was boosted by a total of 85 visitors during the year.  New members are always welcome and at just £16 for nine talks it’s much cheaper than a streaming subscription and far more likely to involve tea and biscuits.

    Whilst important, AGMs can sometimes be dry affairs, but in an heroic feat of efficiency this one was completed in just over half an hour and was followed by a fascinating evening where several members displayed some of the “old stuff” they’d found in their attics.

    Members were encouraged to bring any historical artefact that had been passed down through the generations and provide a brief history of the story behind it.  These ranged from an old milk kit from the 1930s bearing the family name engraved on the lid to a magnificent ‘Freedom Casket’ and accompanying scroll which was presented upon receiving the Freedom of the Borough of Chorley.   

    Other items included:

    • An antique Waddington’s board game similar to Monopoly
    • A beautiful memory quilt made from various materials collected over time
    • Five very pretty antique wooden dolls, possibly originating from Asia
    • Medals and memorabilia from a great uncle who died in the 1st World War
    • A signed Temperance Booklet dating from the 1930s
    • A well-loved and cared-for China doll won in a raffle to raise funds for injured soldiers in 1943      
    • Plates commemorating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887

    The oldest item displayed was a jug dating from the early 19th century, but it was the fascinating stories behind the artefacts that attracted most interest.  One member explained the provenance of a leather bag given to him by his uncle who had acquired it in the Middle East during the 2nd World War and in displaying various items from 1955; another described how, before she was born, her family had emigrated to Australia under the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ scheme but returned at great expense after just seven months presumably when they realised that British rain is preferable to Australian spiders.

    Many thanks must go to Kathy Whyte who organised the exhibition and produced an information card accompanying each item. If any newcomers to the village would like to know more about the fascinating history of this area, please get in touch with either Henry (01254 854290) or Bernard (07505 409289) who will use their knowledge and contacts to answer any queries.